Denver Broncos / NFL

Denver Broncos in prime picking position on NFL waiver wire

One is the draft order. The Broncos think they nailed that one, taking Von Miller with the No. 2 pick.

Another is the waiver wire, where as the team with the league's second- worst record in 2010 (thanks to a strength-of-schedule tiebreaker), the Broncos will have the second choice (behind Carolina) on players with less than four years of NFL experience who are released this week.

"We'll do whatever we can to upgrade our team in our estimation," coach John Fox said Tuesday. "It does help to be higher up in the claim order, at least for this season and early in the season."

As teams ax their rosters from 80 to 53 players by Saturday, there will be multiple chances for the Broncos to bolster several positions, including offensive line, running back, cornerback and defensive tackle.

That means the Broncos could end up cutting more than 27 players by Saturday afternoon in order to add players cut by other teams.

Vested veterans — players with four or more years of NFL experience — immediately become free agents once they are released. If a young player is not claimed, he too becomes a free agent.

One player likely not on the Broncos' radar is former Dallas and University of Colorado center Andre Gurode, who was released Monday. The five-time Pro Bowl player declined to take a cut in pay to stay with the Cowboys. He is 33 and coming off offseason knee surgery.

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QB update.

Broncos fans had better not hold their breath waiting to know if Brady Quinn or Tim Tebow will be the team's backup quarterback behind starter Kyle Orton.

Fox said Tuesday that when the first regular-season depth chart is released next week, both Quinn and Tebow will be designated in the No. 2 role. Teams don't have to publicly name a backup QB now that three QBs can be active on game day.

"It's a competitive disadvantage to announce it now from a standpoint of different strengths and weaknesses by different quarterbacks," Fox said.

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